Images

—01. Loden.

Words

You know those shoes that you love, but you could only get in a size too big? So you need thick socks to wear them, right? Well, these socks, are just about as good as those shoes and they actually make those shoes the perfect size now. Fox River seems to be known for their monkey socks, but these Raggler socks are definitely my pick of the bunch. Available in grey, loden and navy, the wool socks are cozy, thick, warm and look great. Definitely good value at $11 a pair.

Images

—01. Chambray lined collar.

Words

There still aren't many shops carrying Sunny Sports outside of Japan but C'H'C'M continues to offer a nice selection of the brand's shirting and jackets. This light colored denim shirt has nice chest pockets, clean stitching and interesting chambray lining details on the collar and inside of the shirt. The details are subtle and fairly hidden, so the shirt appears simple from the outside, just how I like it.

Images

—01. BUDS shirt and waffle long sleeve.

Words

I'm glad to see Union's new website because it's not too often that we get to see a lot of the products from Wtaps otherwise, if you don't live in one of the few cities with a retailer. Wtaps always has some great military inspired pieces as well as very good basics. I think the brand is very well done and these simple fall items are a couple of my favorites from Union right now. The BUDS shirt also comes in a very nice looking navy blue.

Images

—01. Available in black and brown.

Words

These ring belts are among the fantastic selection of Beams Plus accessories available this season. The light brown looks especially good, although the black isn't bad either. The subtle branding would wear away nicely with time while the clean stitching and perfect sized rings make it one of the better ring belts on the market.

Images

—01. Made in Canada.

Words

On our recent trip to New York there were only a couple of items I had my mind set on. The first was some socks from Uniqlo and the second was the tailored down vest by Engineered Garments. I remembered liking it when we saw the collection last January, but it was quickly edited from our shop order. When they started popping back up in stores this fall I didn't want to miss out again. At first the brown color caught my eye, but the blue in person was too good. The cut of the vest is pretty nice and it feels great. It's a bit puffier than I had hoped so wearing it under a lightweight jacket isn't as good as I thought. Overall I'm quite happy with it though, and I don't have to worry about kicking myself in a few months.

Images

—01. Available up to size 12.

Words

Anatomica is a strange brand that seems to pull together some very interesting products. As is often the case, the most simple are usually the best. These Wakouwa deck shoes are one of my favorite items that are offered through 35 Summers. I've always liked this silhouette, although it's a little more slim, it has a nice feel and works quite well with a more narrow trouser. I actually really like the dark tan canvas version with the black sole. It's a nice reference to the old Sperry deck shoes that were made for the US Navy back in WWII.

Images

—01. Brown leather on Vibram sole.

Words

Russell Moccasin are one of the best footwear makers around, but unless you go to them directly, their shoes are very hard to find. There are so many good models in Japan, and it's only since Nepenthes opened in New York that any interesting models have been made available here. These short boots use a classic Vibram sole and don't look totally unlike our Yuketen collaboration, which definitely isn't a bad thing.

Images

—01. Worn with nice casual pieces.—02. Washed out cotton.

Words

Some new Sassafras items have been arriving in select Japanese retailers recently and as usual a lot of them look great. This multi-pocket vest is a nice casual piece that could be worn under a jacket or over the top of a heavy shirt or sweatshirt. The washed out tone looks great and the array of pockets make it ideal for packing up your daily tools.